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To: Dave Elias
Well, you are not wrong, the same also being true of latin. However, my fundemental point is that the name of God as written in antiquity is of uncertain pronounciation, although its pictographical representation (we disagree only as to the english alphabet interpretation me Waw, you Vav)

Well I suppose I may indeed be wrong about much, but what from my post is wrong, and how you declare it to be such with such conviction I am not sure, considering that it was precisely the point I was making.

Because of the unique nature of the letters that make up YHWH (or YHVH if you prefer)it could be pronounced in a number of ways.

I was not arguing that is should not be pronounced, but that it is not clear how one should pronounce it since the vowel pointings were not represented (and if they were, then the sheva and patach CERTAINLY do NOT result in slang American "YAHWAY". There are many theories, but all just that - theories.

a hook peg thing

I suppose some of the "waw" stuff also comes from confusion over how a consonant can sound like an "ooh" and in some phonetic soundings, a "waw" can be made to sound like an "ooh" better than a "vav". But then again, the "ooh" sound is not just a "vav" issue - other letters make it too! Maybe we can get some German speakers here to tell us who we can make those sounds as well < g >

I maintain the correct pronounciation was widely known once (people were illiterate and would not have relied upon text for correct diction)

No, rather their literacy was quite high. They were people of the Book. Reading was not only a right - it was a responsibility. They did, as you point out, know quite well how the Name was pronounced, since even if they substituted "Adonai" or "HaShem" as some do today, they in fact heard the High Priest say the Name each Yom Kippur as the Mishna records.

What is fascinating is how the practise of ommiting the 'o' in God basically turns the ritual on its head

Only in the minds of those who have other rituals. That, is the nature of ritual, isn't it?
216 posted on 07/07/2003 8:38:20 PM PDT by safisoft
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To: safisoft
I respectfully draw your attention to the fourth word of the first line of my last post.

I wish to have a scholarly discourse with you, not to get into an arguement.
217 posted on 07/07/2003 10:42:25 PM PDT by Dave Elias
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